Moving Day
by Laura16
Summary: The King Stetson household makes a move


Scarecrow and Mrs. King are the property of Warner Brothers, Inc. and Shoot The Moon, Inc. No infringement of copyright is intended. The author has not profited from this story. The characters belong to WB and Shoot The Moon, the story is the property of the author.

Thanks go to my SMK pals for the encouragement-they are the best! A continuation of the family themes found in Good-byes, Lazy Afternoon, Birthdays and Scarecrow Exposed.

Moving Day

"Daddy! Are we moving yet-are we moving yet-are we moving yet?" three year old Jennifer Stetson asked repeatedly as she bounced on the box containing her mothers' china. Lee Stetson caught his daughter mid bounce, tucked her safely under one arm as he carried her outside to her brother. He deposited her in front of Jamie, who was talking to his girlfriend Kathy Walker. He folded his arms across his chest and waited for Jamie to acknowledge him.

"What?"

Lee held onto his temper. He understood how hard it was for the boys to move, but he really needed their help today and it had been in short supply.

"Jamie, Jenn was trying to take out your mothers' good china in one swift bounce. Pal, I need you to keep an eye on her for me today." He watched as Jenny climbed up on Jamie's lap, giving Kathy an evil eye. Jenny was possessive of her brothers and she didn't like any other females getting the attention of the men in her young life. Lee had to smile, she looked like her mother, but the eyes were his and he would know that look anywhere. Jennifer would defend what she considered to be hers and that included her brothers. No wonder Jamie was letting her wander back in the house.

"Aw Lee, she won't let us talk! She dribbled her juice down the back of Kathy's chair; now Kathy is wet and sticky! She dropped a caterpillar in her glass and she spit on her shoes! She's impossible!"

Lee turned his hazel gaze on his daughter, who was sitting in the grass behind Kathy's chair pulling grass and dirt and stuffing it into Kathy's purse. Jenny raised her eyes to her father and he saw no contrition there, just a steely determination to get her own way.

"Jennifer Dorothy Stetson!"

"Daddy, I didn't mean it." Jenny quickly scrambled to her father and wrapped her little arms around Lee's knee. She dropped her head back and gazed at him with unclouded eyes, her little lips in a perfect pout. Lee knew when he was being manipulated, and he suppressed a smile at the thought of his daughter practicing her wiles on him. He marveled that women really were born with that instinct though Amanda would argue and tell him that she was just practicing what she knew worked with her Daddy!

"You will apologize to Kathy--now." He saw his daughter's eyes narrow and her bowed lips thin into a line of determination. "Now Jennifer, or there is a time out in your immediate future."

Jenny let go of her father's knee and walked over to Kathy, dragging her feet and digging up grass as she went. She stopped and with a flip of her foot launched the dirt that had piled on her shoe right onto Kathy's leg. Lee saw her glance up at him and he put on his best disapproving face.

"Sorry," said the tiny voice that was his very un-sorry daughter.

"That is not a proper apology, young lady. Let's try again."

Jenny pulled herself up straight and looked at Lee with a tear in her eye. She turned back and flung herself onto the arms of a very startled Kathy.

"I sorry Kathy. I sorry 'bout the bug in your glass," she stopped and snuffled for effect. "I sorry 'bout your lip gunk too, you can wash the dirt off!" Lee shook his head at her performance and noticed that Jamie was just about as impressed as he was. But, Kathy was buying it hook, line and sinker, soothing the hiccupping child in her arms.

"It's okay, Jenny, don' cry sweetie! You can stay here with us." Jenny smiled triumphantly over Kathy's shoulders at her father and brother.

Lee shook his head, and Jamie couldn't restrain a comment about her performance.

He gave Lee an eye roll and plucked Jenny from the arms of his girlfriend, swinging her into the air to her delight. "She should get an Oscar for that one. Come here Jenn, let's go swing."

Lee watched as his daughter was bounced between the two young adults as they walked back towards the swings. Kathy was in full mother mode now, telling Jamie to be careful with his sweet little sister. Jamie's reply was a very male snort. Lee shook his head; he knew he was in for it when Jenny was older; his boss took every opportunity to remind him. Billy was enjoying his godchild's antics at her father's expense. He was full of sympathy for Amanda, but issued hearty belly laughs when Lee would retell his daughter's adventures.

Lee walked back to the house to finish marking the boxes in the kitchen. Amanda and Dotty were at the new house, setting up unloading areas. Lee didn't understand all the trouble they were going to, moving was easy; you just called someone and they came and then you went to your new place. Amanda had just patted his arm; she understood how he had moved in the past. Dotty was scandalized at Lee's concept of Moving Day! There was a system to moving, and Lee had to learn! And learn the system he had!

All the rooms had been packed, and with a flourish of the Magic Marker, the room was completely packed and labeled within an inch of its life. If they couldn't find it in a particular box, they didn't have it.

Lee took a walk through the nearly empty house. It was a strange feeling for him. Images flooded his memory at every turn. Amanda's surprised looks when she would see him outside the kitchen window, sneaking in and out before Dotty and the boys could see him, climbing in and out of windows, the first time he knocked on the front door and came in like a normal person, as Amanda put it.

He climbed the stairs to the second floor, remembering carrying Amanda up these same steps the night he moved in here and became an official part of the family. His first Christmas; it had been a race between the boys and him to see who could get downstairs first. The first time he brought Jenny upstairs to her bassinet in their bedroom.

He wasn't going to move.

That was it. He had decided. This was their home. This was _his_ home and he wasn't leaving.

He had to get a hold of Amanda and stop this madness. He turned to leave the bedroom he had shared with his wife to find her standing in the doorway, a soft look on her face.

"Amanda, this is a mistake. We don't want to move! We're happy here." He moved to take her hands in his, to make her understand, to implore her to let him stay in the only home he had ever had since his parents died. Amanda reached up to brush back the hair that had fallen across his forehead. She leaned up and kissed him gently, knowing that he was serious.

"Sweetheart, you know we need to move. The house is too small for us. There's no room for all the things we want to do. We've talked about all of this."

"I know. I don't want to go."

Amanda saw the stubborn set of his jaw, a character trait he had passed on to their daughter. She wanted to laugh, but knew she would hurt his feelings. "Lee, I have memories here in this house too. I have been happy here all these years, and more so these past four years with you, but it's time for us to make new memories. And there _will _be new memories, but not if we don't go and make them! Come on, let's go." She held out her hand to him, waiting for him.

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

Lee sat on the steps of the front porch and watched the neighborhood as it slowed down for the evening. The sounds of basketballs, screen doors, and kids being called home for dinner soothed his raw nerves. The very things that had made home '_home__'_ were here too, just like Amanda had promised him.

She had known, his very smart wife had known that if he had gotten his way and they had moved out to the country were there was space and the neighbors were acres away, she had known that he would not feel at home. The very sounds he thought he needed to escape were the ones that told him he was home.

He had to admit that the house did indeed sound like home to him with Phillip home from college and fighting with Jamie over unclaimed possessions. Each boy now had their own room, Dotty had a large room with a private bath, Jenn's room was light and airy as Amanda declared each time she entered their daughter's room. He had his office back and the master bedroom was large and comfortable and he knew he would enjoy the privacy the layout of the house would afford them.

The screen to the front door slammed causing Lee to wince—he'd have to fix that pretty quick. The aroma of coffee wrapped around him and he smiled as he raised his hand for the cup he knew was coming his way.

Taking a sip, he nodded and offered Amanda his free hand as she stepped down to sit beside him. "I'll head to the hardware store tomorrow and get something to fix that screen door; that'll drive us crazy each time someone comes in and out."

"Thanks sweetheart." Amanda wrapped her hands around her coffee mug and looked around the front yard. "Mother is enjoying a peaceful bath, the boys are staking out their territory and thankfully, Jenny is asleep."

Lee rolled his eyes. "I tell you Amanda, she's gonna be the death of me. When I saw her leaning out of that window today…it's gonna take some time for me to get over that."

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but it's only going to get worse from here on out. She's too much of her father's daughter!"

"Your mother tells me that."

Amanda leaned her head on her husband's shoulder, mostly to hide her smile from him. "Well, Mother does know what she's talking about." Sitting up, she leaned over to look her husband in the eye, "Glad we made the move?" she asked.

Lee shrugged, "I'll let you know in a few years," he grumbled. "There are advantages."

"A few," she nodded in agreement. "Mostly that we're all here together."

"That is the best part of it. You know Amanda; I never took myself to be somebody who didn't like change."

Amanda laughed. Standing, she put her hand out to Lee who took it and stood beside her. Wrapping his arm around her, he hugged her to his side. He had to admit to himself she had a point; he didn't like change. But the new house was comfortable….

"Mom! Lee! Jenny's climbing over the banister!"

Lee thrust his coffee cup at Amanda and flew through the screen door. Amanda quickly followed and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Lee had scooped their daughter into his arms where she was laughing delightedly over her adventure.

Amanda gave Jenny a stern look; the little girl turned into her father's chest to hide. Looking up, she met her husband's eyes and smiled.

"I don't ever want to hear that she's too much like me again, Amanda. This is _purely_ your daughter!" He kissed the top of the toddlers head and shook his head.

She watched her husband gently cradle their daughter in his arms and she hoped he didn't see the tears of love that sprang to her eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled at him, "That's because just like me, she knows there's no place like your arms for being home."


End file.
